England Team Director Flower renews ECB contract

— 3 May 2011

ECB today announced that Andy Flower has renewed his contract and will continue in his current role as England Team Director. Flower will remain on a permanent contract and is currently preparing for an international summer that sees England face Sri Lanka, India and Ireland.

Flower was offered the role of England Team Director on a permanent basis in 2009. During this two year period England has risen from sixth in the ICC Test rankings to third behind India and South Africa and has climbed a place from sixth to fifth in the ICC one day rankings.

In 2009 England defeated Australia 2-1 to regain the Ashes and last winter became the first side since 1987 to retain the Ashes with a convincing 3-1 victory in Australia. England has also won a first global title with a seven wicket victory over Australia in the West Indies in 2010 to become the current ICC World Twenty20 Champions.

Andy Flower said: “I am delighted to have been given the opportunity to build on the considerable progress we have made to date as a squad and remain fully committed to developing the side and ensuring we are in a position to realise our objective of becoming the number one side in the world. When I was appointed England Team Director in 2009 I stated that I wanted to create a winning England team and I am very pleased with the advances we have made as a squad over the last two years in all formats of the game. Regaining the Ashes in 2009 and retaining them last winter and the 2010 World Twenty20 title are obvious highlights, but there is still plenty more we want to achieve in the longer term.”

Flower continued, “We have made no secret of our determination to become the number one side in the world and challenge for global titles and I feel we have been making steady progress. I firmly believe we have the talent amongst the playing squad and management team to help us realise our ambitions and am looking forward to testing ourselves against quality opposition this summer and beyond.”

England will face Sri Lanka this summer in a three match npower Test Series followed by a NatWest Twenty20 and ODI Series. England will then face India in a four match npower Test Series, followed by an ODI against Ireland in Dublin and will end the summer with a NatWest Twenty20 and ODI series against India.